Fear Can Turn To Love
by Ange Black
Summary: After a war resulting in many casualties, Hermione Granger is forced to marry a man who she fears above any other.
1. Chapter 1

Fear Can Turn To Love

By Ange Black

Disclaimer: I own don't Harry Potter or Phantom of the Opera.

"Fear can turn to love - you'll learn to see,

to find the man behind the monster: this ...

repulsive carcass, who seems a beast, but secretly dreams of beauty, secretly, secretly…"

-I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt it

Phantom of the Opera

**Chapter One:**

Ever since she had been three years old, Hermione Granger's dream had been to marry her true love and have a house filled with children. Unfortunately, at the ripe old age of 27, Hermione had been unable to have children or find her true love. She was cursed with the most boring job ever.

Hermione had been working at Muggle-Wizarding Relations department of the Minstry

of Magic since after the Modern-Medival War three years ago. The war had happened when the Muggle Prime Minster had spilled the beans about the Wizarding World, causing the Muggle community to go back in to Medival Mode. This, essentially meant that Muggles again had Salem Witch Trial attitudes about their fellow human beings on Earth. Many great wizards and witches died from being burned or drowned without warning. The war had ended when the Minstry broadcasted a Memory Charm on a radio network.

After the war, the Minstry of Magic formed the Muggle-Wizarding Relations office in order to prevent another massacre, Muggle or Magical. Hermione had been immediately been recommended for the job by her old Hogwarts headmistress, Minerva McGonagall. Hermione took the job because it provided more money than her old job.

Hermione stacked her papers by her computer and sighed. It had been a long Friday for her, this morning she had had to deal with a Muggle woman whose Magical neighbors always took advantage of her, and just an hour ago, Hermione had had to book a few teenage pranksters who had spray-painted "MUGGLES SUCK" on an Underground train in London. She had just finished with the paperwork about an hour after her shift was over.

Just as Hermione was about to pack up, her co-worker Veronica Sable walked in to her cubical. Veronica was a young girl who had only graduated from Hogwarts two years ago. She had long blonde hair and very blue eyes, Veronica was also very naïve.

"Hey Hermie!" Veronica exclaimed excitedly.

"Hey." Hermione replied. She hated the nick-name Hermie ever since Veronica had given it to her last year.

"Can you please do that report that the boss asked me to do by Monday? I simply haven't got the time I have to take care of …" Veronica started.

"Your sick grandmother? Isn't she in St. Mungo's?" asked Hermione.

"Yes, but…"

"Save your breath, I'll do it." Hermione grumbled. Hermione heard a shriek and then found herself in an arm-wrenching hug.

"Thanks!" Veronica squealed. "I'll make it worth your while!" Veronica ran out the cubical in an excited fashion. Hermione groaned. Ever since Veronica had joined the department last year, she had always paid Hermione to do her paperwork. This was why Hermione often got home at 2am.

Hermione headed down the street to her apartment two hours later, in a skipping form of motion. It was Friday, she was in a good mood, even if she was going to have to do Veronica's report. Hermione nearly ran up the stairs of the Muggle apartment that she shared with her boyfriend Ted.

Ted was from a well off family that had lived in Hermione's hometown. He had longer-dirty blonde hair and grey eyes. Ted, unlike Hermione, was a Muggle. Although Ted knew about the magic aspect of his girlfriend of two years, he loved her a lot, even if "it" freaked him out a little tiny bit. Ted was not used to the owls and the household spells that Hermione often used to cook or clean. Nevertheless, he had given up a magic-free live to be with the one he loved.

Ted was making chili when Hermione burst in to the apartment. She gave him a big, fat kiss on the cheek, which in turn made his face turn red.

"Hermione sweetheart, could we do this later, I'm a bit busy." He said with a voice that had an annoyed undertone. Hermione, rolled her eyed and went in to the bedroom to change out of her clothes attire.

When Hermione got in to her bedroom, she found that Harry's old owl Hedwig had brought her post. She became worried when she saw the Minstry seal on one of the letters. Had her boss found out that she had written all of Veronica's papers? She worried opened the envelope and nearly fainted when she read the letter.

Dear HERMIONE J. GRANGER,

The Minstry of Magic had recently passed a law decreeing that unmarried Witches and Wizards under 30 must marry another witch/wizard and have at least one child with magical abilities, due to the recent Modern-Medieval War. Since you are currently not in a relationship with a witch/wizard, you are going to be given a month (1/1 to 1/31) to find a suitable witch/wizard or else have a child with the person assigned by the Minstry.

HERMIONE J. GRANGER is paired with DRACO A. MALFOY

We thank you for your understanding, as the Wizarding community is becoming less and less each day. If you would like to appeal your partner, your court date is January 28 in The Harry J. Potter Courtroom at 11 am.

Yours truly,

Rufus Scrimgeour

Minster of Magic

From the next room, Ted heard a loud thump. He came running to find his beloved girlfriend on the floor, with a large burse on her forehead. Ted thanked God that she hadn't been knocked out.

"Honey," Ted said. "What's wrong?"

Hermione quickly shoved the letter in her pocket and stood up with the help of her boyfriend.

"Um, I just tripped is all. On the bedside table." She explained. Ted didn't look like he believed her, after all, the bedside table was about five feet away. He gave her a disbelieving look.

"Well, when you're ready to tell me what the hell is going on, please tell me. I love you more than anything and I want to know about anything that is less than perfect in your life. The chili will ready in ten minutes." Ted said in a puzzled voice. He left the room to go and finish up his chili.

Hermione pulled the papers out of her pocket to read it again when she remembered that she had another letter. This time, to her relief, it was a letter from her friend Harry Potter and his wife Ginny.

Dear Hermione,

Ginny and I just wanted to know if you and Ted are still up for Saturday night. Ron and Demelza cancelled because they're going to a family function at Percy's (Ginny refuses to go because of the "Fudge Fiasco".). We're pretty sure that Remus and Tonks are still coming. Please send us a letter back letting us know because we want to know how much stuff to buy (It's our turn to host!). Thanks!

Your friends,

Harry and Ginny

Hermione looked at Harry's old, majestic owl and sighed.

"I'll be back in a minute." Hermione said to the old beast. The owl hooted in reply.

Hermione went back out in to the combination kitchen-dinning room-living room and sat down at her desk to write a reply.

"Teddy?" she said.

"Ummhmm." Said Ted while stirring the chili. Hermione could tell that he was still a bit sore.

"Are we still going to Harry and Ginny's tomorrow night?" she asked. Ted looked up from his precious chili and thought for a second.

"Shit!" he exclaimed. "I can't go, the boss wants me to make up the day he gave me off for your birthday. Sorry honey."

Hermione pulled a quill and some parchment out of the computer desk and wrote out her reply.

Dear Harry and Ginny,

Unfortunately, Ted will be unable to come due to the fact that his Muggle boss wants him to make up work the day he took of for my birthday (which is really dumb, considering that my birthday was four months ago). I will be coming alone and will bring some of Ted's chili for us to eat.

Love from,

Hermione

Hermione enclosed the letter in an envelope and tied in onto Hedwig's leg, Hermione gave an owl treat before she sent Hedwig on her way.

Hermione collapsed on the futon couch, picked up Witch Weekly and read an article about Gilderoy Lockhart's trial. Hermione's former professor had recently regained his memory about two months ago. After Lockhart's publisher had read his planned new book, "Breaking the Basilisk (Riddle)", Lockhart had been arrested and charged with plagiarism and lying to the Wizarding public about his past adventures. The article said that Harry Potter (Order of Merlin, First Class) had testified against him that Lockhart had admitted lying and had tried to perform a Memory Charm on Harry and his "unnamed friend", who Hermione knew was Ron.

When Ted came in to the living room to announce that dinner was ready, he found Hermione on the couch asleep, clutching a magazine. Ted smiled and covered her with a blanket and went back to the dinning room to eat his meal in solitude.


	2. Chapter 2

Fear Can Turn To Love

By Ange Black

Disclaimer: I own don't Harry Potter or Phantom of the Opera.

"Fear can turn to love - you'll learn to see,

to find the man behind the monster: this ...

repulsive carcass, who seems a beast, but secretly dreams of beauty, secretly, secretly…"

-I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt it

Phantom of the Opera

**Chapter Two:**

Hermione woke up to the blaring sounds of Coldplay, Teddy's favorite band. Although Hermione didn't recognize the music at first, because Ted had been singing along with his awful singing voice, Hermione smiled when she heard him and got up to take a shower and change out of her clothes.

Ted had other plans. He swooped Hermione off her feet and began to dance with her. Hermione giggled and agreed to dance along with him until the song changed. When it ended, Hermione wrenched herself away from him and made her way to the bathroom. She undressed and took the longest shower of her life.

Hermione had forgotten all about the events of last night until she reached into her jeans pocket to find the letters she had received last night. She groaned and wondered how she was going to tell Teddy, who was so obviously in love with her. She took her mind off it and worked on Veronica's report, which was about a few Death-Eaters who had recently burned a group of Muggles alive. It pained her to do it, considering that Hermione's grandmother had been killed by Death Eaters before the War of Vodemort had ended.

Ted left for work at 10 o'clock, leaving Hermione with the house to herself. She let Crookshanks in (Ted didn't like Crookshanks very much, the feeling was mutual.), and laid down with him until it was time to get ready for the get-together at Harry and Ginny's. She put on a pair of jeans and her Chudly Cannons T-shirt that Ron had gotten her for last Christmas. She assumed that he had gotten them for free, considering that he was the choch for the Jr. team, which consisted of young teenagers who had just graduated from their schools.

Hermione pictured 227 Godric's Way doorstep and was there in two seconds. The location of the house was actually where Harry had lived for his first year of life. Harry and Ginny had bought the land when they found out that Ginny was pregnant with their first two children. Harry had the house rebuilt with the money that had been given to him for his Order of Merlin.

She rang the doorbell and was greeted by a long, red-headed woman with a small black haired baby in her arms. The woman, who was Ginny Potter, gave Hermione a hug the best she could with one arm.

"Hermione! How wonderful to see you!" she exclaimed. "Harry, dear! Hermione's here!"

Hermione was welcomed in to the home and then given a hug by Remus and Nymphadora Lupin. Both of which were dear friends to Hermione, Remus had also been Hermione's third year teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Remus's hair was graying with age and Nymphadora (called Tonks) was still as pink as the day Hermione had met her.

"Hermione!" exclaimed Tonks. "How are you!"

"Pretty good. How's Jaime, is he liking school?"

"He loves it!" said a more-contained Remus. "Although he's getting in to lots of trouble because he can impersonate people."

Jaime, like his mother, was a Metamorphmagi. A Matamorphmagus was a very rare thing to be, and it was even rarer that Jaime took on the trait of his mother, Tonks. None of the other Lupin children (Hannah and Loki) had taken to this power. Jaime currently attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a First year in Gryffindor House. His younger siblings were too young to go to Hogwarts, being eight and three years old.

Hermione then found herself being hugged by three more people, her friend Harry, and his twin children Molly and Lilly, both of which had flaming red hair. Both girls looked like their namesake grandmothers.

"Daddy," said three-year old Lilly. "Can we stay up late tonight?"

Harry smiled at his daughter and shook his head, which resulted in an "awwww" from both girls. Ginny gave Harry Jr. to her husband and took both daughters hands and led them up the stairs.

"Come on girls, it's late…"

Harry invited his guests to sit down the kitchen table, which was covered with random snacks, glasses and a bottle of white wine. He pulled the cork out of the wine bottle and poured some in to each person's glass.

"So Hermione," Harry started. "How's work?"

Hermione took a slip of her wine and savored it before saying anything.

"It's okay, I guess." Replied Hermione. "I mean; I did have to do Veronica's paper again, but overwise, it's okay." She didn't mention the letter that had been sent to her by the Minstry, although she had brought it along.

After the table discussed Veronica and her antics, Ginny come back downstairs to rejoin the group because the girls were asleep.

"I'm so glad their at this age now, it's so much easier to get them to go to bed." Said a wet Ginny.

"Why are you wet?" Tonks asked. Ginny laughed and explained.

"I had to give them a bath, that's why it took so long. While they were in the tub, Hedwig came in through the window. I ducked to avoid being hit in the head and fell face-first in to the tub." She then showed the table a letter of chastisement from her mother about not coming to the family function at Percy's house, it was passed around with great interest.

"Knowing Molly, I'm surprised it wasn't a Howler." Said Lupin.

"Yeah," said Ginny. "Me too. But I think she doesn't want to send one and have her grandchildren hear it. She'll think that it'll give them a bad impression of her."

"They already have one, kind of." Harry cut in. "You should hear the stories that Fred and George tell them! They'll absolutely mad!"

"The last one had them running from her for weeks! I've asked them to stop, but Harry keeps encouraging my brothers." Ginny then gave her husband a playful punch.

It took another hour for the table to get to talking without interruption. Harry had to put his son to bed ten minutes after Ginny came downstairs. The talk was basically griping about their jobs. Lupin was a teacher at a special Werewolf school, Tonks was still an Auror and Ginny was a homemaker with still enough complaints about her job. Harry was actually Tonks's boss, so he complained joke fully about his "worst employee".

Hermione became really uncomfortable when the subject reached the letters that the Minstry had sent to girls aged 17-30. Remus talked about the turmoil it was causing at the school he worked at.

"I mean, some of the kids who got the letters weren't even seventeen yet! One was a fourth year! Rufus Scrimgeour has gone way too far with this law! You know what? I heard a rumor in the office that one girl had been paired with Greyback! A dead man, and the most dangerous Werewolf ever! I mean, the girl was a Werewolf, but still, ya know. It's also really unorganized." Remus complained.

"Yeah," Chimed in Harry. "Ron got one too, even though he's engaged to a witch."

Hermione cleared her throat and pulled out the letter that had been sent to her yesterday. It was passed around the table with varying results. Ginny opened her eyes the widest Hermione had ever seen them. Remus shook his head rather sadly and Tonks turned in to an older version of herself, then laid her head in her hands. Harry was the worst, however.

"What the fuck is does this ass think he's playing at?"


	3. Chapter 3

Fear Can Turn To Love 

By Ange Black

Disclaimer: I own don't Harry Potter or Phantom of the Opera.

"Fear can turn to love - you'll learn to see,

to find the man behind the monster: this ...

repulsive carcass, who seems a beast, but secretly dreams of beauty, secretly, secretly…"

-I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt it

Phantom of the Opera

(A/N: I'm really sorry about the format of the first two chapters, I'm writing this story on a Mac and for some odd reason, won't let me post it on the Mac. So, I have to email mail it to myself and post it on my Dell, which is basically starting to melt. I also apologize for the spelling, as sometimes I just forget to use spell check.)

**Chapter Three:**

It was Saturday Night, Poker Night.

Ever since Draco had been two years old, he had joined his father in the drawing room with his Death Eater buddies to watch them play poker. His mother had always rushed him away when she came in to give them their drinks, but clever Draco had always found a way to sneak back in to the room and watch the game. Old habits die-hard.

Draco sat at a round poker table with Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise, his only intelligent friend. Draco seemed to be winning, Blaise had the second most coins and Crabbe and Goyle tied in place for last. Draco placed his hand of cards down on the table.

"Full House, my friends." He said. He reached for the pile of coins in the middle of the table. "I'll take THESE!"

A large, hairy, grey hand was placed upon Draco's when he attempted to reach for his money.

"Nuh uh!" said Goyle. "Not yet! How do we know you haven't been cheat'n?"

"Yeah!" said Crabbe. Blaise sniggered next to him.

"We all know he isn't cheating. We're using cards with an anti-cheating spell, remember numb-nuts?" Blaise snorted. "And by the way, Draco, where is your Lady-Luck?"

"You mean Pansy?" Draco asked. "We broke up last week. She wanted to take me to see "Phantom of the Opera" or something. Said it was something her sister did with her brother-in-law when they were our age. Like I would go some prissy Muggle play."

Draco finally managed to the pot to his pile of coins.

"My second step-father read that to me when I was five. It was a pretty good book, even for a Muggle-written one." Blaise said.

"Yeah, so did my tutor, except when my father found out she was reading it he nearly killed her." Draco said as he picked up more cards.

"But Draco," questioned Goyle. "Aren't you and Pansy betrothed?"

"Yeah," Draco snorted. "But who give a fuck about what our parents said. Her parents and my Mum are in Azkaban and my father is dead. I don't think any of them'll mind, all of the live ones are probably crazy by now. Besides, she was the one who broke up with me first. I mean, come on."

Blaise looked unhappy. His last stepfather had betrothed him, like Draco and Pansy, only it had been with some girl from Austria named Ute Furst. Blaise had only met the girl once when he was fourteen. The memory was still fresh in his mind; she was a short, cubby girl who had disgraced her family name by snogging with another boy.

"Lucky." Blaise said under his breath.

"Why don't you just dump her, your mum wouldn't care."

"I can't." replied Blaise gruffly. "There was this whole ceremony with a Unbreakable Vow and everything. Mum said to make the best of it and marry her anyway, and then pull a Zabini.

The rest of the table laughed, they knew exactly what "a Zabini" was.

"She rich?" asked Draco.

"Duh! Otherwise Aaron wouldn't have done it. Or Mum knew and suggested her out of the pool of idiots he probably picked out for me. Aaron was such an ass, he hated me from the moment he saw me."

Draco had only met Aaron once out his longest stay of Blaise's stepfathers. He had been a tall, tan man with black hair and unbelievable blue eyes. Before Blaise's mother had murdered him, he had bewitched her with a love potion. He had been very loving to Sophia, Blaise's mother, but very cruel to Blaise. Draco had once witnessed Aaron beating his stepson, it had been one of the reasons for his murder.

"Crabbe, Goyle." Draco said. "Are one of you guys betrothed?"

"Nope." Replied Goyle. "I've got it made.

The rest of the table looked at Crabbe.

"Yeah, actually I am." He grunted. "Some girl name Farrah Samelle, she's the daughter of my Dad's cousin's sister-in-law. She's…"

Draco didn't listen to the rest of Crabbe's lucky story of how hot his betrothed was. Instead, he looked at the picture of Pansy that was still on his shelf. He knew that he shouldn't be up there, but he couldn't bring himself to take it down. He remembered the first time he had met his betrothed.

_Flashback_

_A seven-year-old Draco sat on his bed reading in his room when his mother, dressed in her best robes of silk pink, came in to his room._

"_Draco, put your dress-robes on, it's time to meet her."_

_Draco looked at his mother with a puzzled look on his face._

"_Who Mummy?" he asked. Narcissa laughed._

"_Pansy Parkinson, silly. You're betrothed to her." She answered. She went over to Draco's large oak wardrobe and pulled out a mothballed, old, velvet, green robe with a snaked clasp. It was his least favorite to wear._

"_But Mum," Draco protested. "What if I don't love her?"_

_Narcissa rolled her eyes and began searching for his dress shoes in the large room. She found them under the canopy bed. _

"_You'll love her, you just haven't met her yet." Narcissa said as she tried to fit Draco's small shoes on his larger feet. "Why didn't you tell me these didn't fit before?"_

_Narcissa took out her long, thin willow wand and stretched the shoes without a word. She sized them to his feet before trying to put them on again. After she accomplished her task, she handed Draco his robe._

"_Put this on or you won't get any desert tonight. Pansy's father is a very important pureblood. He was in Master's inner-circle, Mr. Parkinson is also your father' s close friend. Please don't besmirch the family name. I want you downstairs in twenty minutes," She said coldly, after flashing Draco the "you'd-better-do-it-now-or-I'll-get-you-father-up-here" look she left the room_

_Draco donned the dreaded robe, combed his hair and brushed his teeth in his bathroom before going down the famous Malfoy staircase, which was decorated with green and gold to look good for the guests that were coming this evening. His mother smiled and nodded in approval at him as he made his entrance in the foyer._

"_Draco!" His father said sternly. "You should have been dressed hours ago, they're nearly here!" The large doorbell boomed throughout the house. "Never-mind, they're here. Get in to the dinning room. Dobby, answer the door!"_

_Draco and his mother were ushered in to the dinning-room by his father. Draco could hear the sounds of a man, a woman and a girl being brought in the door by their house elf. Draco's father waited for Dobby to take their cloaks and offer to take them in to living room._

"_Ahhh! Kensington Parkinson how do you do!" Draco's father shake hand with a short plump wizard. Narcissa took a glance at the woman standing next to her husband._

"_Mrs. Luella Slughorn-Parkinson!" she exclaimed. "You look lovelier each time I see you!" The very skinny witch turned bright pink._

"_Oh, Cissy, you didn't have to say that." Luella said modestly. She reached out to shake Narcissa's hand. Then Lucius turned his eyes on the girl standing behind her mother. She was rather short, but had long blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes like her mother's. _

"_And this must be Pansy. My, my she is a lovely young lady." Lucius doted. Pansy smiled shyly. _

"_Pansy," Narcissa said. "This is our son Draco, Draco Abraxas Malfoy. Draco, this is Pansy, Pansy Lucinda Parkinson."_

_Draco shook Pansy's hand but did not let go for some while, for he became lost in her eyes._

"_Well," Kensington laughed. "At least they like each other."_

_The rest of the adults laughed and headed in to the fancy living room, the one only used for important guests such as the Parkinson's._

"_Now then." Said Lucius as they entered the room. "About that dowry…"_

_Much later, Narcissa was helping her son get undressed._

"_Did you like her, sweetheart?" Draco's mother asked._

"_Yes, she's quite pretty. We got along well." Draco replied._

"_Good, that's what it takes in these types of marriages. Did you use nice manners?"_

"_Yes mother."_

_Just then, Lucius came in to his son's room._

"_Hello, Draco, Cissy." He gave his beloved two kisses on the cheeks._

"_Lucius, darling. What did you think of her, the girl I mean?" asked Narcissa._

"_She was pretty, and the dowry was excellent. More than I expected to be honest. She'll just need to loose some weight before she turns seventeen." Lucius said._

"_No Daddy!" Draco interrupted. "She's perfect the way she is."_

_Both of the Malfoy adults laughed at Draco. Lucius ruffled his son's hair._

"_Ahh, young love…"_

_End Flashback_

Suddenly, Draco found himself coming out of his memory with a peck from an owl's beak.

"Draco, mate." Goyle said. "You've got some post."

Draco took the paper and letters from the owl and paid it. It gave a hoot of thanks before taking off again. He opened the letter he got from the Minstry and read it with increasing shock on his face.

"No fucking way!"

Blaise sat up from his slumped position on his chair.

"What?" asked Blaise.

"They're forcing me to marry that Mudblood girl from Hogwarts." Draco exclaimed. Crabbe and Goyle looked at the letter with extreme interest.

"Which one?" Crabbe asked.

"Granger."

(A/N: Pansy is NOT Sluggy's granddaughter, okay? She is related though. Luella's maternal grandfather is the nephew of Professor Slughorn.)


	4. Chapter 4

Fear Can Turn To Love 

By Ange Black

Disclaimer: I own don't Harry Potter or Phantom of the Opera.

"Fear can turn to love - you'll learn to see,

to find the man behind the monster: this ...

repulsive carcass, who seems a beast, but secretly dreams of beauty, secretly, secretly…"

-I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt it

Phantom of the Opera

(A/N: I'm sorry for all the f-bombs, but isn't that the way you'd react if your best friend was being forced to marry someone who had bulled her at school. I mean, seriously, I'd be even worse, I would be turning over tables and, well, let's just say that the Minster of Magic's neck would be about two feet longer. I'm also really sorry that this next chapter has taken sooooo long! The computer I write on (a Mac) kind of had a bug and I refuse to type on a laptop with a giant crack in the screen. You can all thank my older brother and his anger management problems for that! Oh, yeah, I also made some spelling mistakes in the other chapters that will be corrected shortly.)

**Chapter Four:**

Even though Hermione had told her friend about her Minstry letter hours ago, there was still chaos at 227 Godric's Way.

Harry Potter was still ranting about the current Minster of Magic, meanwhile, his five-month-old son had woken up and Ginny had gone up to comfort him. Remus Lupin had sat quietly and his wife had been telling Hermione Granger soft words of encouragement, saying that "It'll never happen" and "The Wizengamot will put a stop to this". Molly and Lilly had also awoken, to the dismay of Ginny, who had a spent a portion of time to put the girls to bed that she should have spent with her friends.

"Daddy," Molly asked as she came in to the kitchen. "What's all the shouting about? Is He back?"

Harry stopped ranting and everyone at the table looked up to see Lilly and Molly in their matching silk pajamas that Harry had bought for them last year, when he had taken a business trip to China. Tonks hair turned back to pink and Hermione looked up for enough time for the girls to see that she had been crying.

Daddy, why is Ms. Hermione crying?" asked Lilly. Harry combed his fingers through his hair in frustration and ushered the girls out of the kitchen and back up the stairs where Ginny was trying to put their brother back to bed.

Hermione had been crying for the last three hours. First, it was that she was getting a little freaked out by Harry, but after the first hour she realized that she had to marry the man, no boy, whose father had killed her grandmother. And after that it had been that she was going to have to have a kid with him! That had been when she had really broken down.

When Harry and Ginny returned from the upstairs of their home, Ginny asked:

"When did they send you this letter?"

Hermione sniffed.

"Well, it was actually at the same time I got your letter." Hermione quivered. "Hedwig delivered it, she does that sometimes."

Hermione burst in to tears again and Ginny patted her on the shoulder. Harry offered her a tissue, but she shoved it away.

"Does Teddy know?" asked Tonks. Hermione wiped her nose with her fist.

"No, and I don't know how to tell him." She took a tissue from Harry and blew her nose very loudly. "I mean, we've been dating for three years and we've been living together for two…" Hermione was interrupted by the door opening.

"Hey!" called a voice from the foyer. "We're here! Time to get this party started!"

Ron Weasley and his fiancée Demelza Stone, or Mel, walked in to the kitchen. Ron and Hermione had dated after leaving Hogwarts, although had found that the relationship hadn't worked. Now, they were friends. Just friends. And both of them had a serious long -term relationship. Ron was now engaged to Mel, who had gone to The Salem Witch Institute for her magical schooling. Mel was a short young woman with long, black hair and eyes more blue than a clear sky. Mel was a pureblood, who actually had ancestors who had been tried in the Salem Witch Trials. It was Mel who brought Ron to the attention of what was going on with a shove.

"What's going on here?" Ron looked around the room at his friends. "Hermione what's wrong, why are you crying?"

Tonks handed Ron Hermione's Minstry letter. Ron and Mel read the entire thing in silence.

"Oh, my word!" exclaimed Mel, who usally never had a temper. "This is awful! Our Minstry would never do this!"

Mel, since she had only moved to Europe five years ago, still did not refer to the place as her home. Hermione thought that Mel's "un-Europism" (it was similar to being "un-American" in the United States.) was a tad snooty at first, but than realized that she was right! The American Minstry (or "Magical Government" as they called it) wouldn't do this!

Ron sat down next to Hermione and put his arm around her shoulders. Hermione sighed and put her face back onto the table practically bawling.

"It's okay." He whispered. "Everything is going to be fine, just go lie down a bit, Harry'll make you a calming potion and we'll be able to sort this all out."

In a trace, Hermione got up, walked in to the family and laid down on the soft crimson sofa. She looked around the room, which had been designed to look like Gryffindor Tower, and remembered all the great times she, Harry and Ron had had at Hogwarts. About a half hour later, Harry brought a steaming mug in from the kitchen. Even when Hermione had a whiff of the potion she felt better! It was times like this that she loved magic!

"Listen Hermione, I made this stuff strong." Harry warned. "I mean really, really strong. So please be careful and don't drink all of it because it could put you in permanent sleep. Please, be careful!"

Everyone watched as Hermione drank a few sips of the potion and fell asleep. Before she knew it, Hermione was floating among the stars.

Meanwhile, back at Draco's apartment, things had started to cool down a bit. Gold had exchanged hand many times over the past few hours everyone seemed to be in good spirits, especially when Draco had broken out the vodka.

"Draco, mate…" Goyle slurred. "I'm feelin' a bit woozy, wait while I go get some cola, will ya?" Draco nodded and Goyle got up to get his drink. When he was out of the room, Draco took a large sum of Goyle's gold and divided it between Blaise and himself. Blaise laughed horribly.

"That," said Draco while pointing at the kitchen. "is why I don't drink took much during card games that involves money. Blaise laughed again at Draco's joke.

Goyle came back in, sat down and looked at his gold.

"Did yous guys _give_ me some gold?" asked Goyle. Draco chuckled.

"Nope. You must be seeing double." Draco replied. After a few minutes of play, Crabbe woke up from his nap. Where his mouth had been on his cards, you could see drips of slobber. He had fallen asleep almost right after Draco had gotten his letter.

"So," he said as if he hadn't been asleep." Whatya going to about that Mudblood girl?"

Draco hadn't though about what he was going to do about the Mudblood Granger. Maybe he could get back together with Pansy. Or maybe he could convince the Minstry that he was betrothed and that they could get out of it. But unfortunetly, their fathers had never really made an unbreakable vow, considering that both men were Deatheaters and were also busy trying to hide their contact with Voldemort at the time that Pansy and Draco had met. The dowry that had been talked of had also never been exchanged. Draco sighed.

"Well," he started. "Hopefully, I'm showing up to the court date with Pansy in tow and simply explaining that we're bethroughed. Umbridge still works there, she could probably get us out of it." But, Umbridge also hated Granger so much that she might actually go the other way around. Draco groaned.

"I have an idea!" said Blaise. "Why not kill her!"

Draco, Crabbe and Goyle shushed him.

"Dude," said Crabbe. "You do know that they still watch Draco. Even though he's free, they still think he's a Death Eater."

"Well he does has the Darkmark on his arm, duh!" said Blaise.

"Yes, I do." Draco replied. "But I regretted it once I forced Snape to kill Dumbledore. He's still serving time for that. Anyway, I got some Protection and Potter spoke up for me once I was caught. So, I'm out, but because Potter doesn't pay any attention to me like Dumbledore did to Snape, the Minstry watches my apartment and the mansion."

"Oh." Replied Blaise.

"Yeah." Said Draco. "Oh."


	5. Chapter 5

Fear Can Turn To Love 

By Ange Black

Disclaimer: I own don't Harry Potter or Phantom of the Opera.

"Fear can turn to love - you'll learn to see,

to find the man behind the monster: this ...

repulsive carcass, who seems a beast, but secretly dreams of beauty, secretly, secretly…"

-I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt it

Phantom of the Opera

(A/N: Sorry for not explaining the "month to find a suitable wizard to marry or else she'd have to marry the one the ministry picked". This is what happens: both are sent the letter before the month (just some kind of official thing, it really means before the court date), they have that time _before_ their court date (It's just right before Jan 1st) to find a suitable which or wizard. For example, let's say that Draco got back together with Pansy and proposed, they'd be engaged with a ring so the ministry really couldn't break them up and Hermione would be paired with someone else if she couldn't find a wizard to marry. Same with Hermione and another wizard. The reason why the Minstry doesn't know about the betroughal between Pansy and Draco is because their parents never reported it and there was no Unbreakable Vow involved. Also, the reason that a name is given _before_ the court date is because this gives the addressee of the letters time to get together with this person to get to know them before they try to appeal. Sorry if I confused anyone! Just email me if you have any more questions!)

PLEASE NOTE: This chapter is a bit racy. It has some conversation between some characters that includes the subject of sex, although it's pretty much kind of gossip and girl talk. If you are offended by this kind of content, please stop reading after the word "sex". You won't miss anything after that.

**Chapter Five:**

When Hermione awoke, she saw two brown eyes staring at her. It took her eyes a second to adjust to the light and realize that they belonged Molly, Harry's daughter.

"Mummy!" she yelled into the kitchen. "Ms. Hermione's awake!"

Hermione sat up and rubbed her head, she had a massive headache that felt like she had had a giant crack on the top of her skull. After a few minutes of rubbing, Hermione stood up and straggled in to the kitchen, where Molly and Lilly where finishing up their breakfast. Ginny was busy at the sink using her wand to wash the dishes.

"Good morning!" greeted Ginny. Ginny picked up a cup of coffee from the counter and handed it to her friend.

"Thanks." Said a grateful Hermione. She took the cup from Ginny and took a long swig. "Where's Harry?"

"Bah!" exclaimed Ginny. "That Minster of ours wanted him in the office for a meeting at 8 o'clock! On a Sunday too! Something about a former Death-Eater making death threats."

Hermione looked at the time clock in the room and saw that it was 11 am. She then looked at the other clock that showed Harry's portrait at the position that read work.

"So he's not off playing Quidditch with Ron again?" Hermione said. Ginny took offence to this comment, considering that Harry had once blown off an "alone" dinner by saying he had to go to work. He had actually went off to the Burrow to play Quidditch with Ginny's brothers. Ginny had found out about the fib when the twins came home from the Burrow, saying that Harry had taught them how to fly on toy broomsticks. Harry had spent the rest of the week sleeping in the guest bedroom.

"Of course not!" Ginny bursted out. "Unless he bewitched the clock…"

With the word clock, Harry's portrait spun to the word traveling and his head appeared in the fireplace.

"Hey." Said a gloomy Harry. "Has the post come yet, Ginny?"

Ginny nodded her hand and went over to the table where Hedwig had laid earlier that morning, picked it up and carried it over to the fireplace.

"Is the Daily Prophet there?" asked Harry. Ginny fingered through the mail and found the morning Prophet.

"Harry." Ginny said. "Why is he keeping you so long?"

Harry sighed.

"Well." He started. "A former Death Eater had someone make the comment "kill her" in his home. So Scrimgeour is making Barb Ellis and I investigate the comment and look through his apartment. We're still trying to get the warrant."

Ginny frowned and put the Prophet in Harry's mouth with tongs. With a nod and a "'ove-yah", Harry's head disappeared and his portrait went back to the word work. Ginny turned back to the counter, this time placing a plate of pancakes before Hermione. Hermione put a bit of syrup on her pancakes and began to eat.

"Mommy." Said Molly after a few minutes. "I'm finished."

Ginny came back to the table to collect Molly and Lilly's plates and take them back to the sink.

"Molly, why don't you go feed Snuffles? And Lilly, why don't you go out and fed the rabbits?" Ginny asked.

"Done." Both girls said at the same time.

"Daddy fed Snuffles." Said Molly.

"And we fed the rabbits before breakfast." Lilly finished.

"Well then why don't you go prepare the guest bedroom?" Ginny asked. "Grandma and Grandpa are coming over and…"

"Grandma?" said a terrified Lilly. Molly just sunk in to the cushion of her chair in fear. Ginny had a very disbelieving face when she saw Molly, the twin who had taken on a gnome when she a two, cowering.

"Now you girls!" exclaimed Ginny. "I told you that the stories that Uncle Fred and Uncle George tell you about your grandmother are not true! She does NOT put puffskins in her chocolate chip cookies!"

Hermione snorted, which caused Ginny to look at her dangerously.

"Now off you go! Your grandparents are staying for a week! They need clean sheets to sleep on! They need fresh soap in the bathroom! They need…"

"Girls." Hermione interrupted. "Listen to your mother."

Hermione ushered the girls out of the room and up the stairs, once she was sure the girls couldn't hear her, Hermione started laughing hysterically.

"Now stop it!" Ginny exclaimed as she walked in to the living room. "You're just as bad as Harry, if not worse!"

"Is that _really_ what Fred and George tell them?" asked Hermione.

"Yes." Ginny replied. Hermione burst out laughing again. Ginny gave Hermione a disapproving look. "And you haven't even heard the worst one!"

"What is it?" asked Hermione.

Ginny sat down on the living room's leather sofa and said:

"They say that Mum almost baked them in to a pie when they were newborns."

"Whoa." Said Hermione. "That one's kind of scary." Hermione sank down into the sofa next to Ginny and looked at the family portrait above the fireplace.

For a few minutes there was silence, just silence. Not awkward, just a "nice to have some quiet time" silence. The silence was rudely interrupted when Lilly thundered back downstairs to collect the clean sheets off the clothesline outside in the garden.

"LILLY!" screeched Ginny. "Don't run down the stairs!" Hermione noticed that Ginny was becoming more like her mother day by day.

A few more minutes of silence were shared until Ginny stood up.

"Hermione, I want to talk to you." Said Ginny.

"Um, okay…" Ginny grabbed Hermione by the wrists and led her upstairs and into Harry's home office. The light yellow paint was nearly covered up by a large map of the world with pins as locations stuck in it and random pictures of people. On in particular caught her eye, Draco Malfoy. Even though he wasn't wanted, Harry was still supposed to keep an eye on him, although it was Hermione's understanding that he really didn't.

Ginny sat Hermione down on a chair next to the computer (a gift from Ginny's father that her mother had never approved of) and Ginny sat down in the chair next to the fireplace.

"So what do you want to talk to me about?" asked Hermione, while picking up a framed picture of the Potter family on vacation in Peru to examine it.

"Sex…" whispered Ginny.

Hermione nearly dropped the glass frame, and when she looked back at it, Harry was hugging the girls, who were scared out of their minds, and Ginny was rocking the baby. Both of her friends in the picture looked very peeved at her. This was when Ginny took the frame from her and set it back on the desk.

"Listen, Ginny, I've had this talk from my parents, McGonagall and…"

"Wait." Interrupted Ginny. " McGonagall gave YOU the talk. Why?"

McGonagall had discovered Hermione and Ron snogging in the hall closet during their Prefect duty. Almost all of Hermione's garments had been removed. It was not one of Hermione's best memories of the Headmistress.

"Ask your brother." Replied Hermione.

"Ewww!" Ginny squealed. "Don't want to know. TMI. Anyway, don't change the subject, have you ever done it?"

Hermione rubbed her head thinking about how she could get out of this talk. She had had the talk twice, and one was usally the norm.

"Um." She started. "Yes."

"Have you ever had…"

"Listen Ginny." Hermione said irritably. "I really don't want to have the talk for the third time, especially now that I'm twenty-seven and also…"

"Have you ever had an orgasm?" asked Ginny, this time, Hermione had no chance to interrupt her.

"Yes." Hermione groaned. "May I leave now?"

Ginny studied Hermione irritated face for a few moments.

"Funny. Always thought you'd be the type to save yourself for marriage." Ginny commented. This made Hermione a bit angry.

"So you think I'm a goody-two-shoes now?" Hermione asked gruffly.

(A/N: I have no idea how you write goody-two-shoes, but I think that everyone knows what I'm talking about.)

"No." Laughed Ginny. Hermione noticed that Ginny saw it as some sort of joke. "It's just unexpected for a Head Girl like you."

"Well what about Harry? He was Head Boy, and I know for a fact that he did not save himself because the day after you two moved in together, you nearly made my eardrums explode with your giggling." Stated Hermione. Ginny giggled under her breath.

"Harry's different." Ginny started. "You seem to have a better head on your shoulders. Anyway, again, no changing the subject. Did you give it to Ted?"

"No actually." Said Hermione. "Although I won't say whom because you'd probably be really grossed out."

It took Ginny a minute to realize that Hermione had meant Ginny's brother, Ron.

"EWWWWWWWW!" exclaimed Ginny. "Nastiness." Hermione was finally able to find humor in this talk.

"You, little missy, were the one to bring it up." Hermione said gleefully. "Anyway, you're younger than me, why should you be the one to give me the talk? Or at least try to."

"Well Hermione, I mean. No offence, but I have a lot more experience in the love department and I was just thinking that maybe you would want to talk about you… and Malfoy…"

Hermione clasped her head in to the palm of her head again. She had totally forgotten the whole Malfoy marrage thing.

"Thanks for making me remember." Hermione said with a face that looked she was about to cry.

"I'm sorry." Said Ginny, looking very sorry she had said anything at all about him. "I'd just thought you'd want to talk. That's all."

Hermione was just about to say something when Lilly interrupted again with the phone (another one of Mr. Weasley's gifts that his wife had not approved of) in her hand.

"Mommy." She started. "Mr. Ted is on the phone for Ms. Hermione."

Ginny nodded and Lilly handed Hermione the phone.

"Hello?"


	6. Chapter 6

Fear Can Turn To Love 

By Ange Black

Disclaimer: I own don't Harry Potter or Phantom of the Opera, although I do own all characters and publications of my creation.

"Fear can turn to love - you'll learn to see,

to find the man behind the monster: this ...

repulsive carcass, who seems a beast, but secretly dreams of beauty, secretly, secretly…"

-I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt it

Phantom of the Opera

**Chapter Six:**

"I told you Potter." Draco Malfoy said in a tired drawl. "Blaise wasn't serious, he was just joking about some book he read."

Draco Malfoy was tired, very tired. He had woken up 8 o' clock yesterday morning to go to work and had been up all night answering questions from various Aurors. Finally, a few hours ago, his least favourite person in the world had shown up, Harry Potter, head of the Auror department of the Minstry of Magic. All of his friends all of his friends had been able to go home about twenty minutes after they had been unceremonyly dragged in to the Minstry of Magic for questioning in a small room with an overly large mirror. Draco was pretty sure that there were people watching behind it.

Harry Potter was also very tried. He had been up almost the whole night worried sick about one of his best friends. Then, he had been called in to the office on a Sunday morning to question her groom to be on the account of plotted murder. It had been a great start for his week off.

Harry stood up from his chair across from Malfoy and paced. His eyes slid from Barb Ellis, who was yawning and reading a newspaper, to Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy," he repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. "We know that the phrase was not used in that cannon. Barb, anything yet?"

Barb Ellis was a tall, bony woman with frizzy pepped hair who wore bronze coloured robes. She was a kind, but sharp when needed, type of woman, and very much like Harry's mother in law. A year behind Harry in Hogwarts (who often wore her Hufflepuff Prefect's pin to casual Fridays), Barb often played the role of "Good Cop" when she helped to question people.

"I don't think the arrest was reported." Barb responded "But I should keep looking."

"What do you MEAN "the arrest"? Draco questioned angrily. "THIS DOESN'T COUNT AS ARREST! DOES IT?"

Harry shook his head.

"Listen, Barb, why don't you go take a coffee brake? We've been at this for hours. Oh, and please get me some tea. Thanks." Harry said.

Barb nodded with a smile and headed toward the door, when she opened it, Draco said quite loudly: "And get me a coffee! Black!"

After Barb had left the room, Harry sat right back down with his "Bad Cop" face on.

"Listen Malfoy." Harry said with a hint of dislike. "Just GIVE me the memory, okay? I know you haven't gotten any sleep, and…"

"Unlike you." Draco whispered under his breath. Harry ignored this comment.

"And, it will just be easier for the both of us. It will take a few hours for me to get the warrant, so I'll get the memory anyway."

"Fine." Draco said, giving in. "Just get me back my wand and a bottle."

Harry left the room, and a few moments later, Draco could hear some congratulatory remarks coming from the other side of the one-way mirror. Harry burst in to the room a few minutes later with two other people, Barb Ellis and a Hit-Wizard whose name was unknown to him.

"Here." Said Harry, handing him a bottle and his wand. "And don't try anything funny, I've got back up in here and there's a full guard in the hallway.

Draco put his head with his wand and muttered an incantation. He then pulled the memory, in from of a silvery string, out of his head and put it in the bottle. Harry picked it up, corked it, and motioned to Draco that he way free to go. Ellis, Harry and the Hit-Wizard left the room, leaving Draco to exit the room on his own.

After taking his wand off the table, Draco walked out of the door and walked in to the Auror Department of the Minstry of Magic. While he passed Potter's office, he noticed that there was a crack in the door and that Potter and Barb Ellis were having a conversation.

"So, Potter." Said Barb Ellis. "How the family?"

Harry handed her a frame with a picture of the Weasley and Potter families last summer at the Burrow. The picture also included Hermione and Ted.

"Pretty good." Harry replied. "The in-laws are staying for the week, which is why I asked for some off time."

"Oh." Barb said. "They look pretty nice though."

"Yeah, they are." Harry said. "I've known Molly since I was eleven, helped me with the Hogwarts station barrier and everything, she's almost like a mother. Plus her youngest son, Ginny's brother, is one of my best friends."

"Ron right?" Barb asked. Harry nodded while he took a sip of tea. "Who's that guy next to Hermione Granger who isn't moving?"

"That's Ted Gates, Hermione's boyfriend." He said. Barb still looked puzzled.

"Oh, he's a Muggle." Harry explained. Barb nodded her head.

"Oh, yes." Barb said. "But why would she want to date a Muggle? Magical Messenger says that Victor Krum still likes her."

(A/N: Magical Messenger is kind of like Star Magazine.)

"They fell in love." Harry said in defense for his friend. "And besides, you can never quite trust those tabloids, especially when Rita Skeeter is the editor. No, Victor and Hermione are just friends now. Plus Victor's also gotten himself a beau."

"Really?" asked Barb, sounding interested. Barb was somewhat of an Aunt Petunia, she was very noisy.

"Yes. Well, I must get going." Harry said, checking his golden wristwatch. "Molly and Arthur arrive in an hour and I'm pretty sure the house is in an uproar."

Barb laughed.

"Yes, I must get off to my brode as well, they all must be starving! Bye!" Draco heard a loud pop and knew that Ellis must have Dissipated. Then, hearing footsteps toward the door, Draco walked quickly toward the front desk, where his coat, dragon skin boots and earring had been detained.

The girl at the desk seemed bored and had buried herself behind the latest Teen Witch with a picture of Gideon Crumb on the cover.

(A/N: Teen Witch is kind of like Seventeen.)

'_Obviously an intern.' _ Draco thought to himself. He had to clear his throat two or three times before she noticed that Draco was there. She put down her magazine down on her desk and rolled her eyes. She still had curlers in her blonde hair.

"What you want?" she asked with out looking up.

"Um, I was taken in for questioning and my some of my stuff was confiscated…" Draco said.

"Name?" She asked rudely. Draco sighed.

"Draco Malfoy." The girl opened up the drawer next to her with the letter D in it and began to rummage through it.

"Nope, nothing under Draco. Sorry." The girl picked her magazine back up and popped her bubble gum.

"Rachel." Came a voice behind Draco. "Try the "M" drawer, please."

Rachel looked up from her magazine and sat up stright immediately.

"Yes, sir!" she exclaimed. She went to the "M" drawer, pulled out Draco's trench coat and Dragon hide boots and then handed them to Draco.

"Here you go sir." She said. "Have an nice day."

"Thanks." Said Draco. _'For nothing.'_

Draco turned around to leave the offices, but Harry Potter stood before him in the doorway.

"Sorry about Rachel." Said Harry. "She's an intern from Hogwarts. Doesn't know the ropes yet."

"Oh." Draco said sarcastically. "Hadn't noticed."

Harry sniffed. His plan to make nice hadn't worked as well as he planed.

"Listen, um, about Hermione…"

"What about Granger?" Draco asked. He was pretty peeved at Potter. First he had been pestering him with questions, now he reminding Draco about his "fiancée".

"What are you going to do about the marriage thing? I mean, I KNOW for a fact that the both of you don't like this arrangement."

Draco sighed; he had known that this was coming.

"I don't know. Tell her I'll owl her or something."

Harry bit his lip and nodded.

"Fine. I will." Harry said as he walked in to an open lift backwards. Draco shrugged at Potter and waited for the next lift to come. He didn't want to deal with an awkward silence.

After waiting a few seconds, the lift next to the one Potter had gone down opened and Draco ran in and took it down to the Atrium to Floo home. After the night he had had, he didn't feel like being shoved up a pipe. As he strode in to the Atrium, he caught a glimpse of a woman who he thought was Pansy. As it turned out, it was Pansy.

"Pansy!" he yelled across the hall. "Pansy!"

Pansy looked up from the paperwork she was doing and quickly turned back around. Draco signed, threw his Floo powder in to the fireplace he was next to, walked in to it and said "Malfoy residence, London."


End file.
